MEDIA CONSULTANT
I'm a multimedia lifestyle content specialist with diverse training and a varied career in the media.
On the writing and editing front: I’m a Master's in English from Mumbai University (2014) and have done a course in book publishing from the National Book Trust (2007). I have been the Launch Editor of BBC GoodHomes (2007-11); a columnist with, then Contributing followed by Assistant Editor of Man’s World (2006-7); an editor at Tulika, the Chennai-based children’s publishing house (2005), where I translated Deepa Balsavar's book The Seed into Hindi.
I write on gender, sexuality, equal rights and sociocultural issues, alongside interviewing inspiring people, for renowned publications. Since leaving GoodHomes and until 2015, I also art directed print ads and TVCs, films and conceptual shoots.
Alongside, I’ve been a radio jockey with WorldSpace (2002-4); a judge on the seven-part reality TV show Design Warz on Zoom (2008); professor of writing/editing, magazines/web at the post grad diploma in mass media at MET, Mumbai (2008-18); etc.
This has given me a holistic understanding of the Indian media and audiences, and, over the years, I have evolved in to a consultant, working independently, as a partner with i420 Digital Media heading the lifestyle division (2014-6), and collaboratively with photographer Sahil Mane (my spouse), on mainstream, digital and alternative media and art projects. This includes handling content for special projects on several properties of Times Internet (2015); helping to create Sahil’s international award-winning art shows Orgasm! (2011), Arousal (2012) and BeautyFull (2013-); being the Editorial & Style Consultant, Heaven & Home and Bamarang (2011-2); creating a special décor supplement end-to-end for Outlook’s Christmas issue (2012); and producing and art directing the iconic celebrity calendar (2014, 2015) for World For All, an animal rescue organisation (2013-4).
In 2015, I was the Content Head (written and visual) for the swanky new mobile-first website of the Taj, one of the world's biggest luxury hotels chains. The most exciting, most challenging media project I’ve ever undertaken!
2016 was an exciting year. Our super-successful agency, i420 was acquired (yay)! I was selected to be a part of Girl Effect and Swarm’s Open Studios—Mumbai Creative Sprint Workshop to look for creative ways to ‘break the barriers that hold girls back’. Since, I have only taken on a couple of commercial projects—providing branding and editorial guidance for Leeanne’s Kitchen (2016-) and the supplements brand Setu (2016, 2019); creating the collateral for the play Andal presented by Taneira (2018); etc—in order to focus on a long-term dream.
Since 2013, but most actively since 2017, I’ve been working on a project that’s close to my heart (and, dare I say, important). Why Men Rape (formerly/also known as Why Indian Men Rape) is a multimedia gender journalism and activism project spanning books, a documentary and an active online presence, over several years. In 2020, my first book Why Men Rape: An Indian Undercover Investigation was published by HarperCollins to much acclaim. (Read it here.)
Over the years, particularly since I began working on this project, I have come to be seen as a public intellectual in the gender and sociocultural spaces. I’ve spoken events and on shows on CNN News18, NDTV, Times Now, Mirror Now, etc; been interviewed by publications such as Mumbai Mirror, Mid-Day, Outlook, TheWire.in, DNA, iDiva.com, Free Press Journal, SheThePeople.tv and Grazia.
I’ve also spoken on a Women Achievers panel by INSPIREInd and Jombay’s Leading from Behind conference; and endorsed ethical campaigns and brands such as the Covid India Task Force, the White Ribbon Alliance’s #IDemandRespectfulCare maternity rights campaign and Sakshi’s #MakeHomeASafeSpace campaign against domestic violence. In 2018, I was awarded a Femina Women Super Achiever Award.
I would very much appreciate opportunities to work on mainstream and offbeat media and art projects. What do you have in mind?